1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to accurately replicating, imitating, emulating, reproducing, and mimicking the visible electromagnetic spectrum light emissions of the bioluminescent abdominal ‘lantern’ of member species of the Lampyridae Family.
2. Prior Art
There are over 2000 species of Lampyridae in the world, each with their own unique flash pattern, bioluminescent lantern size and color. The desire for a methodology to accurately emulate this visible light output has increased due to the importance and value of Lampyridae research in recent years.
To accurately emulate the wide variety of Lampyridae emission permutations requires a methodology to accurately control a light emitting device or devices that are proximate in size and wavelength to the species and gender of Lampyridae being emulated. Further, variations in Lampyridae flash patterns are measured in milliseconds, and therefore an emulation device must have the ability to recreate those flash patterns with equal accuracy to be of scientific value.
The imitation of the visible electromagnetic spectrum light output of member species of the Lampyridae family of insects has been accomplished in the past by a variety of rudimentary means that lack scientific accuracy.
The most widely recognized means of imitating the visual lighting effect of Lampyridae is in the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at the Disneyland theme park in Anaheim, Calif. It is the inventor's understanding that the visible light output of those artificial Lampyridae results from attaching an incandescent lamp approximately ⅛ inch in length onto one side of a circular disc of approximately 2 inches in diameter. The incandescent light and disc are suspended from thin wires thus permitting movement as a centrifugal blower on the floor below directs a continuous flow of air toward the hanging light with attached disc. As the airflow intersects the disc, movement of the disc and attached light ensues, including swinging and twisting motions, which when viewed from a distance appears as movement with an apparent on and off flashing of the light.
Rudimentary in design, the Disneyland artificial Lampyridae is not capable of producing accurate flash patterns of member species of Lampyridae and does not emit scientifically accurate wavelengths of visible light that match specific wavelength emissions of Lampyridae species. The use of suspended incandescent lamps, with attached discs and centrifugal blowers is acceptable for an environment where observers are controlled within defined viewing angles and distances, such as in the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. However, this method of Lampyridae imitation is not satisfactory for less controlled environments. Additional disadvantages of this method of Lampyridae emulation include noise created by the centrifugal blowers, electric power required to operate the centrifugal blower(s) and the incandescent light(s), and the necessity to routinely replace the incandescent lights as their filaments fail. This methodology is not considered viable for scientific research or for generic creation of a Lampyridae environment.
A similar approach to Disney's imitation of Lampyridae visible light emission flashing is utilized by a Santa Barbara, Calif. company, Creativations, with a product called ‘fireflies’ that has a ‘patent pending’ mark on their literature. Their product utilizes a suspended horizontal wire from which vertical wires hang, each with a small electric fan in the middle of the wire and a light emitting diode (LED) at the end of the wire. The LED is covered with a black opaque substance eliminating light output from the device with the exception of a small area void of the opaque substance; thus creating a window that allows light emission. When electrical power is applied to the device, the LED and fan operate continuously. The hanging fan creates oscillations in the suspension wire, and the LED at the end of the wire begins to move in a random manner. As the LED moves, the observer perceives the LED to be flashing as the transparent window moves in and out of the observer's field of vision.
The Creativations artificial Lampyridae are not capable of accurately reproducing or replicating the controlled flash patterns of any member species of Lampyridae. The use of suspended LEDs with attached fans is acceptable for an environment where observers maintain some distance, as the fans and lights are in motion and the fan motors produce a high frequency sound. However, for scientific research this methodology is not viable.
Other devices used to mimic Lampyridae do not correspond scientifically to the visible light emissions of Lampyridae species. These devices utilize fixed and/or random timing devices that while creating a series of flashes, do not accurate emulate living Lampyridae species. Furthermore, they do not have the ability to be programmed to accurately emulate any one of the over 2000 species of Lampyridae in the world.
Although various methods, both mechanical and electrical, have been utilized in an attempt to mimic the visible light emissions of Lampyridae, none of these methods have scientifically recreated an accurate emulation of Lampyridae visible light emissions. Moreover, they specifically fail in their ability to accurately recreate, mimic, imitate, and emulate the flash rate timing, duration, delay, decay, and fade patterns unique to each Lampyridae species. Therefore, all Lampyridae visible light emission imitative methods heretofore have lacked both visual and scientific accuracy.